Seeing that Lu Yang was unresponsive to both soft and hard tactics, Banshan actually felt a bit awkward.
Do we really need to resort to violence?
Don't be ridiculous. Fighting and killing is so undignified. It would simply damage the harmonious atmosphere of [Mengwei] City. Even if no one died, hurting the flowers and grass would be bad.
Moreover, unauthorized combat is subject to fines.
It would even be recorded on file.
Right now is the critical time for the Unorthodox Alliance to strive for the sixth layer. There absolutely cannot be any criminal record. Compared to this, one Unorthodox perfected lord isn't that important.
Therefore, in a flash, Banshan's face was once again brimming with a smile: "Fellow Daoist misunderstood. Since Fellow Daoist is unwilling to join our Unorthodox Alliance, we naturally won't force it. It's fine not to sign this contract. Fellow Daoist can just sit here for a moment and wait for the tax envoy to register you."
With these words, Banshan had made his attitude clear.
Just now was merely a misunderstanding. Let's laugh away the grudge. I also forgive you, so don't be angry anymore. If you continue to be angry, that would be your fault.
There's no need to fight to the death with this person.
A Righteous Dao cultivator, definitely a fool. And he's alone. Before long, he won't be able to survive in the [Celestial Court] and will still have to come begging to me.
Thinking of this, Banshan left decisively.
Seeing this, the other six perfected lords also simply dispersed their projections. After all, although they were Unorthodox perfected lords, they were still very busy and had to work overtime every day.
This time was just stealing a moment of leisure from their busy schedules.
If it worked out, great. If not, there was no need to fight. After all, the lost medical fees, overtime pay, and fines for unauthorized combat would add up to a huge sum.
In an instant, the seven perfected lords scattered like birds and beasts.
Strangely enough, they didn't seem worried that Lu Yang would cause trouble. They just left him in [Mengwei] City, seemingly even indulging him.
This is really...
Lu Yang stroked his chin upon seeing this, realizing that Banshan and the other Unorthodox perfected lords were hesitant to act for fear of consequences. He became even more curious about the internal system of the [Celestial Court].
To be able to accommodate Unorthodox perfected lords and train them to be so obedient... previously, I had only seen this in Jiangbei. If not for that, Unorthodox perfected lords wouldn't exist only in Jiangbei within the Five Regions of the Immortal Nexus. Yet the [Celestial Court] can also achieve this. Could it really be related to the Primordial Saint Sect?
Just as Lu Yang was pondering.
Suddenly, the dome of the sky darkened. Day turned into night, and the Taiyin moon hung high. Moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall, condensing into a human figure that landed in front of Lu Yang.
Lu Yang fixed his gaze.
He saw a woman with a face as beautiful as flowers and the moon, dressed in white clothes with rosy cloud sashes and immortal feathers. In her hands, she held a book. She was a woman of peerless beauty.
"This little woman is Changgui, a Tax Official under the seat of the Immortal Lord."
As soon as the newcomer manifested her spirit, she immediately curtsied to Lu Yang. Her crimson lips parted slightly as she spoke softly, "Welcome, Perfected Lord. May I ask the Perfected Lord's name and dao lineage?"
After speaking, this breathtakingly beautiful woman who had walked down from the Taiyin moon widened her beautiful eyes, staring straight at Lu Yang as if contemplating something. At the same time, Lu Yang sensed a massive crisis locking onto him, originating from that round moon hanging in the dome of the sky.
"...This lowly one is Ming He."
Lu Yang looked solemn and returned the greeting. "My dao lineage is named [Imperial Order]. I am a rogue cultivator from the outer heavens, not worth mentioning. I apologize for troubling the Immortal Official to descend to the lower realm. May I ask what instructions you have?"
"Perfected Lord is too polite."
The breathtaking woman looked delicate and weak, whispering softly, "I wouldn't dare give instructions. I am merely acting on the orders of the Immortal Venerable. People from the outer heavens must register their names upon entering the realm."
After saying that, she opened the book in her hand.
"Please, Perfected Lord, leave a trace of your spiritual power and aura in the book."
This time, Lu Yang didn't hesitate. This was clearly the rule of the [Celestial Court], and he definitely couldn't escape it. Hesitating would only arouse suspicion.
With a flick of his finger, a trace of aura descended.
In the next second, corresponding characters appeared in the book held by the woman. They were the two characters [Ming He], shining with gilded brilliance, causing the woman to nod in satisfaction.
"Many thanks for the Perfected Lord's cooperation."
As her voice fell, the woman tapped the book lightly with her hand. A streak of magnificent light immediately split off, transforming into a jade slip that landed in her palm.
Then she handed the jade slip to Lu Yang:
"From now on, this [Celestial Court Pass] will be the proof of Perfected Lord's identity in the [Celestial Court]. Perfected Lord's immortal talismans can also be directly recharged into the [Celestial Court Pass]."
"In addition, since Perfected Lord is now a cultivator of our [Celestial Court], we need to settle the expenses incurred since Perfected Lord entered the realm. This includes the fee for absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, the fee for sensing the power of heaven and earth, the pressure caused by the Perfected Lord's stature on heaven and earth... totaling thirty-six thousand Unorthodox immortal talismans."
Lu Yang: "???"
What the fuck kind of expenses are these!
As if hearing Lu Yang's inner voice, the breathtaking woman spoke with familiar ease, "Yes, because the [Celestial Court] is originally the private property of the Immortal Venerable."
"The spiritual qi, mountains and rivers, sun and moon... every inch of space belongs to the Immortal Venerable."
"It's just that the Immortal Venerable is merciful and magnanimous. He has always been considerate of lower cultivators, allowing all living beings to live in the [Celestial Court], only collecting a certain symbolic fee..."
Before she could finish, Lu Yang had already thrown the ten million Unorthodox immortal talismans Banshan had lent him earlier.
"Deduct it from there."
"Thank you for your patronage."
The breathtaking woman bowed respectfully. Then Lu Yang saw that a full thirty-six thousand Unorthodox immortal talismans had been directly deducted from his [Celestial Court Pass].
"I wish Perfected Lord a pleasant cultivation in the [Celestial Court]."
As her voice fell, the woman's figure vanished instantly like a flickering light, disappearing from the spot along with the pitch-black sky and the Taiyin moon wheel.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang looked at the [Celestial Court Pass] in his hand.
As his divine sense immersed into it, a large amount of information continuously emerged. It was books, arranged right before Lu Yang's eyes:
[General Knowledge of the Celestial Court]
[Summary of Humanities and Geography of the Nine Layers]
[Detailed Explanation of Celestial Court History]
[Must-Learn Dao Arts for Unorthodox Perfected Lords — Immortal Talisman Refining Method]
A dazzling array of books. Lu Yang had no doubt that as long as he finished reading them, the [Celestial Court] would no longer be mysterious to him. There was only one small problem—
They all cost money.
The lowest price was one million Unorthodox immortal talismans. It highlighted precise targeting of users, specifically designed to scam newcomers like him from outside.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang's expression became even uglier.
As a perfected lord, I have minting rights in the [Celestial Court] and can refine my own immortal talismans... but the problem is, I don't know the method to refine immortal talismans.
What? The [Celestial Court Pass] provided it?
[Must-Learn Dao Arts for Unorthodox Perfected Lords — Immortal Talisman Refining Method]
[Price: One Hundred Million Unorthodox Immortal Talismans]
It's a deadly cycle: I don't have the immortal talisman refining method, so go buy it. I don't have immortal talismans to buy it, so go refine them. I don't have the immortal talisman refining method...
How to break it?
Very simple: take a loan.
The [Celestial Court Pass] provided a generous immortal talisman reserve fund for every unorthodox perfected lord, with a very "conscientious" annual interest rate of thirty-six percent.
So before I've even learned the immortal talisman refining method, I'm already in debt by one hundred million.
And I can't choose not to learn this immortal talisman refining method, because as long as I'm still in the [Celestial Court], I have to pay rent to Immortal Venerable Taiyin. With what money will I pay?
Not pay? Renege on the debt?
Just judging from the reactions of Banshan and the others, as well as the momentum when that "Tax Official" appeared, being a deadbeat was definitely not a reliable choice.
Thinking of this, Lu Yang was simply amazed.
It was simply like a meticulously crafted beast cage, specifically designed to catch unorthodox perfected lords from the outer heavens. And it caught one every time. What a beastly design...
I like it!
Although he had been pitted like this as soon as he entered the [Celestial Court], Lu Yang felt no anger at all. Instead, his eyes brightened as he discovered the key within—
Rules... This place talks about rules!
The so-called great dao immortal talisman was money. And a system built on money was destined to make most people act according to the rules of the system.
In other words—
There shouldn't be any incidents of late-stage golden core great perfected lords ambushing early-stage golden core cultivators here. For me, this is an undeveloped blue ocean!